The Second Task
by badgermushroom
Summary: So, just my own little one-shot of what would have happened if someone else had been the one Harry would most sorely miss...heeheehee... Anyhoo, H/D slash! And feel free to ignore the title. I suc at titles.


A/N: And I thought I had given up on this account...Well, just goes to show you! Show you what, I have no idea. Best to just ignore me, I suppose. Anyhoo, for the moment I guess this is a one-shot, but it does have the potential to become something longer, depending on two things. First thing, what y'all think of it, and also whether or not my sanity will permit a new project on top of college shit (pardon my french), dumb econ projects, stage tech, etc... But for the moment, on with it, and I hope you enjoy! :d Oh, and I suppose I should say that this is yaoi, and contains pre-established Harry/Draco. Now on with it, for real! :D

Title TBD...

Harry woke to the feeling of somebody poking insistently at his head. Grumbling under his breath, he opened his eyes to find a small, familiar face inches from his own. Harry jumped back with a surprised yell, sending the chair he had fallen asleep in tumbling to the floor. With Harry still sitting in it.

"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, alarmed, blinking down at Harry from where he stood on the table. Harry groaned and picked himself up off the floor.

"Dobbby?" Harry asked, taking off his glasses to rub the sleep from his eyes. "What're you doing here?"

"Dobby has come to wake up Harry Potter!" Dobby said hurriedly. "Harry Potter has only ten minutes before the start of the second task!"

Cold realization flooded through Harry as he was remineded, and he groaned. "Listen Dobby, it's fine," he began. "I'll just have to forfeit or-"

"But they has the young Master Malfoy, sir!" Dobby squeaked. Harry stared stupidly at him for a second before realizing what Dobby was getting at.

"You mean they've got _Draco_, down in the lake?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby replied, looking relieved Harry had finally caught on. "Harry Potter must take this," he said, holding out what looked like a slimy weed. Harry looked at it doubtfully. "It's gillyweed, sir!" Dobby explained. "It will help Harry Potter breathe underwater!"

"Great, thanks, Dobby!" Harry said. Though still dubious, he took the proffered gillyweed.

"You're most welcome Harry Potter!" Dobby said, before he disapparated with a sharp crack. Harry took this as his cue to start running towards the lake.

* * *

Harry felt relieved, and more than a little scared, as he began to see the beginnings of the mermaid village. He eventually came to a large, open area, which seemed to be some sort of village square. The was a giant statue in the middle of it, and tied to the statue were four figures. Harry spotted Draco immediately because of his white-blond hair, which seemed to glow silver under the water. As he grew closer to the statue he recognized two of the other figures as Cho Chang, presumably Cedric's charge, and Hermione, who he could only guess was Krum's hostage. Harry didn't recognize the fourth figure, a young girl, but judging by the color of her hair, he assumed she must have been related to Fleur.

Finally having made it to the statue, he saw that the bindings were ropes of slimy weed. However, his hands, transformed by gillyweed, seemed highly unsuited to the job of untying anything. Ruefully, he wished he had though to bring the knife Sirius had given him for Christmas, but that was safely locked in his trunk and of no use to him. Looking around desperately, Harry realized the bottom of the lake was littered with rocks. Spying a sharp looking one, he dove down and grabbed it. Coming back up, he immediately attacked the ropes tying Draco. Once Draco was free, Harry hesitated. He had yet to see any sign that the other champions were coming, and it wasn't like he could just leave any of the hostages there.

Before he could decide anything, he saw a murky shape begin to approach. The shape gradually defined itself into the form of Cedric Diggory. Cedric completely ignored Harry as he swam over to Cho, pulled out a knife, and proceeded to cut her loose. Harry watched as Cedric began to ascend with Cho. He was distracted by the sound of the mermaids screeching. Looking back down, Harry almost panicked as he saw what looked rather like a shark speeding towards him and the remaining hostages. Harry fumbled desperately for his wand before realizing that it was Krum, with some sort of incomplete transfiguration. Harry watched worriedly as Krum tried to bite through the ropes binding Hermione. Harry swam forward and hit Krum on the shoulder, offering the rock he had used to free Draco. Krum took it and quickly freed Hermioned before he, too, began the swim to the surface.

Harry, not wanting to leave the girl, waited for a couple more minutes. He scanned the surrounding lake nervously. Surely the time limit was almost up, and Fleur had yet to appear. Making a spur of the moment decision, Harry grabbed the rock from where Krumm had dropped it and began to free the girl. However, before he got very far, he was stopped by the merpeople. After a brief argument, Harry managed to free the girl, and, grabbing both her and Draco, began swimming up to the surface. However, luck was not with him at that moment, as he could feel the effects of the gillyweed begin to fade. With a last push of strength, Harry made it to the surface.

As soon as the trio hit the air, the spell on Draco and the girl broke. Draco looked at Harry, amused, as Harry tried to keep both himself and the girl afloat.

"Really, Potter?" Draco said, smirking. "I'm the thing you would 'most sorely miss'?"

"Shut up and help me with her," Harry muttered, feeling his face heat up. Draco continued smirking but complied, and together they helped the girl to the shore, where a very pale Fleur was being being restrained by Madame Maxime. Once Harry was no longer paddling for his life, he realized that the crowd was unusually quiet. It took him a second to figure out why before it dawned on him that he had just, accidentally of course, revealed his relationship with Draco Malfoy, his bitter rival, to the entire population of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang combined. Before he could think on it too much, however, he was roughly seized by Madame Pomfrey, wrapped in a blanket, and set down firmly next to Hermione, who was looking at him incredulously.

"Um, hey Hermione," he said sheepishly.

"Malfoy? Really Harry?" she said skeptically, right before she burst out laughing. Harry looked at her worriedly. "S-sorry, Harry. It's just, of all the people you could have chosen, you choose _Malfoy_?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Draco said dryly from Harry's other side.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine with it," Hermione said, once she had recovered from her laughing fit. "I think I would be more worried about Ron at this point, though."

Harry groaned as he imagined what that conversation would be like. "That'll be fun," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, you worry too much, Potter," Draco said, leaning over to give Harry a kiss. Hermione made a funny noise at that and turned back to Krum, who had been trying to get her attention for the last five minutes. "Besides, if he hurts you, I'll sic my death eater parents on him."

"Hurting or helping, Draco," Harry said exasperatedly, though he was smiling.

"Depends on your definition of 'help'," Draco said cheekily, before kissing him again.

"You do realize, of course that the entire school is watching," Harry said as Draco leaned back. Draco gave him a look. "You don't care, do you?" Harry asked rhetorically. Draco just smiled and, as an answer, just leaned back in for another kiss.

* * *

So, there that is...

Whatever. Anyhoo, sorry about any typos. If you see any feel free to point them remember, constructive criticism is good! I've made friends with it! I love it! So, yeah, let me know what ya think, and I'll see you next time!

Peace out!

-badgermushroom313


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